August 10, 2016

 Exemption No. 17062

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2000-8222

Ms. Rebecca Barbaria

Manager of Flight Standards

Mesa Airlines, Inc.

410 North 44th Street, Suite 700

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Dear Ms. Barbaria:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our 

decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, 

including the date it ends.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated June 29, 2016, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 

behalf of Mesa Airlines, Inc. (Mesa) for an exemption from § 121.434(c)(1)(ii) of Title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent necessary to allow Mesa to substitute a 

qualified and authorized check airman in place of an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying 

pilot in command (PIC) while that PIC is performing prescribed duties during at least one 

flight leg that includes a takeoff and landing when completing initial or upgrade training as 

specified in § 121.424. On July 31, 2016, your original exemption, Exemption No. 10831, 

expired. 

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any 

delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Mesa.

The FAA has issued a grant of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to 

those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 10831 (copy enclosed), the FAA 

AFS-16-12701-E
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found that subject to certain conditions and limitations, the requirement for an FAA inspector 

to observe a qualifying PIC before he/she begins operations in an airplane unsupervised may 

be conducted and satisfied by the certificate holder’s check airman or aircrew program 

designee. The FAA found that this could be accomplished without reducing the level of safety 

provided by the regulation.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that—

• they are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed Grant 

of Exemption No. 10831;

• the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 10831

also apply to the situation you present; and 

• a grant of exemption is in the public interest.

The FAA has added a limitation to clarify that the privileges of this exemption may only be 

exercised when the affected flight is an interstate operation that does not involve flight 

through international airspace or operates totally within the 48 contiguous states of the United 

States including the District of Columbia

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113 and 44701, which the FAA 

Administrator has delegated to me, Mesa Airlines, Inc. is granted an exemption that allows 

Mesa to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman in place of an FAA inspector to 

observe a qualifying PIC while that PIC is performing prescribed duties during at least one 

flight leg that includes a takeoff and landing when completing initial or upgrade training as 

specified in § 121.424, subject to the following conditions and limitations.

Conditions and Limitations 

1. A Mesa check airman or aircrew program designee may conduct a PIC observation in 

place of an FAA inspector when—

a. The Administrator preapproves that substitution for each observation of a 

qualifying PIC candidate, thus reserving first right of refusal to the FAA in 

each case. Mesa, therefore, must contact an appropriate FAA office, in each 

instance, before substituting that check airman or aircrew program designee;

b. The qualifying PIC candidate has completed no less than 10 hours of 

supervised operating experience (OE) and accomplished no fewer than two 

takeoffs and landings; and

c. The qualifying PIC candidate is performing PIC duties during a complete flight 

leg, including flightdeck preparation, before starting engines checklist, taxi, 

takeoff, all other flight phases, landing, taxi, and securing checklist.
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2. Each Mesa check airman and aircrew program designee conducting a PIC observation 

in place of an FAA inspector must—

a. Be approved by the Administrator to conduct the observation;

b. Have served as a check airman or aircrew program designee for Mesa for no 

less than 6 months; and

c. Not supervise the OE or conduct the initial line check for the qualifying PIC 

candidate being observed.

d. Conduct the observation from the observer seat only (i.e. not a required 

flightcrew member seat).

3. Mesa must maintain student, check airman, and aircrew program designee records that 

demonstrate compliance with the conditions and limitations of this exemption.

4.The privileges of this exemption may only be exercised when the affected flight is an 

interstate operation that does not involve flight through international airspace or 

operates totally within the 48 contiguous states of the United States including the 

District of Columbia.

This exemption terminates on September 30, 2019, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John Barbagallo

Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosure